My top three practices to use, start with: A nurturing safe environment and tolerance for asynchronicity. Next a strength based, talent focused approach with supporting and addressing the disabilities. And lastly: See the needs of the students and see the needs of the teacher.
First, A nurturing environment and tolerance (Reis et al.,2014) is crucial for 2E students to be willing to take risks necessary to address the challenges they encounter. (Baldwin, Stuart et al., 2015) This environment includes, one other things: positive feedback, acceptance and readiness to see the student through the lens of a development perspective. (Peterson and Jen, 2017)
Tolerance for the asynchronicity (Trail, 2011) is needed to accept the child’s behavior and to not mistakenly say that a student is ‘lazy’ or ‘not trying hard enough’ when an apparent mismatch between skills and performances occurs. (Baldwin, Stuart et al., 2015)
Secondly, A strength based, talent focused approach (Baum, Schader & Hebert, 2014) is a best practice to use: Strengths based has the focus on academic results, thinking strategies and project based learning. Talent focused approaches also outside the curriculum so they can use their talents, but without using them to: remediate, as a reward for results or as a motivation for results. (Baum, Schader & Hebert, 2014)
Thirthly, Be able to see the needs of the students and be able to see the needs of the teacher (Van Gerven, 2016) Both parties should create a setting that maximizes successful experiences and willingness to pursue a state of flow. (Csikszentmihalyi ,1975) For example: Some teachers need more professionalization on the subject. Some students need more metacognition about giftedness and their disability or disabilities.
In conclusion: it’s hard to choose a top 3! In my opinion, if you are open to the idea that 2E gifted learners are in your class, your little snowball will start rolling down the hill and will keep on rolling … And when it gets bigger, you learn more on 2E learners.
But will it ever stop?